Pcbnew for Kicad cannot be imported in python3.5

Question

I just started learning to customize my foorprint in Kicad via python scripts. I got stuck on “import pcbnew” because it gave me the error “no module name pcbnew” all the time. I checked my Kicad folder and found all the py examples for script foorprint wizard, but there’s no file named “pcbnew.py”. I’m wondering if it’s because I’m using python3.5 rather than python2.7 and how can I fix this problem. Should I download the pcbnew script from somewhere like Kicad Github (I searched a lot but didn’t find any really helpful solutions…)? Or should I re-install my Kicad or python? My Kicad version is 5.0. Thanks a lot!

Answer 1

Kicad includes it own version of Python (Version 2.7.13 at time of writing for Kicad 5.1 but moving to python 3 shortly). You can access Kicad python via the Pcbnew python terminal Tools > Scripting console.

If you wish to run a script you have a couple of options.

• Run it using the inbuilt python 2.7 using either the scripting console or specifying the Kicad python version in the shebang line (you will have to search for this but, in macOS, for instance it is found in /Applications/Kicad/kicad.app/Contents/Frameworks/Python.framework/Versions/Current/bin/python)

• Import the kicad site-packages into the python environment you are using.

  import sys
  sys.path.insert(0,"/Applications/Kicad/kicad.app/Contents/Frameworks/python/site-packages/")
  import pcbnew